Morning by Morning, March 15 - “The Glory and The Suffering” Good morning, Lord Jesus. I look to You and listen for the leading of Your Spirit as I begin my day in the communion of prayer with You -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God, for Your sheep hear Your voice and follow where You lead (John 10:3; Romans 8:14). ... As I watch and wait for Your leading, as I seek to do most every morning, what comes to my spirit from Your Spirit and rises up to form thoughts in my mind are these simple words: “The glory and the suffering.” Then this: “‘Glory speaks of My manifest Presence with you always. ‘Suffering’ speaks of your journey with Me through this broken and fallen world that I am redeeming along with you and My creation, for where I am, you are with Me.” As I test out and seek to discern what I believe I’m hearing in my spirit by Your Spirit with the plumb line of Your Word, this Scripture immediately comes to mind to confirm these words: “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:16-18). When the glory of the manifest Presence of Your Holy Spirit abides in our human spirits, You’re bearing witness to us that You are with us always, that You love us always, that we’re Your children always. No matter what we suffer, no matter what we endure, not matter what we overcome on our journey through this broken, fallen world, You are with us. Just as You promised, “I Am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). That’s how we “suffer” together, that’s how we are “glorified” together. As Your Word reminds us of Your divine perspective, we are “heirs of God and joint heirs of Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” with Him (Romans 8:17). To be an heir of God is to be a child of God. To experience the glory of God is also to experience the suffering of this world. But in the sufferings, we see Your glory. And seeing Your glory, we can endure and overcome the sufferings. And with confident hope filling our hearts with this eager expectation of even greater glory to come, You remind us of the Promise of Your Word “that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). All of Heaven is watching our journey and cheering us on (Hebrews 12:1-2). All of creation yearns to see us overcome all we endure, as we learn to love and learn to trust and learn to depend upon You and the glory of Your manifest Presence, ever-abiding Presence with us and even within us by Your Spirit leading us through. “For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God” (Romans 8:19). All creation eagerly waits for the revealing of Your glory in us -- “Christ in (us), the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). This is why we’re here, why we endure and overcome through the sufferings of this age and this present darkness -- that we would “be conformed to the image of the Son (of God)” (Romans 8:29). This is how You use all our sufferings to reveal Your glory in us for the good goal of this purpose -- the divine purpose of making us more like You every day: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). So I embrace Your grace to begin my day embraced by my Father, centered in Christ, and filled with Your Holy Spirit. And I take hold of Your Truth that You’ll be with me always through every moment of my day, every encounter I’ll endure, every challenge I’ll overcome by the power of Your grace at work within me -- in the glory and through the suffering -- for Your glory and my good, as You use it all to make me more like You today. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the love of Jesus, Tommy Hays My friend, may you be so aware of the glory of the manifest Presence of God with us and within you by His Spirit through all you endure and overcome on your journey today through this broken, fallen world, as the Lord makes you more like Him, in Jesus' name. God bless you! Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries Mailing Address: 412 S. Adams Street #148 Fredericksburg, Texas 78624
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